You know how it goes when you're facing another person in a fighting game round: both players have whittled off some chunks off the other's life bar and the match seems up for grabs. That's where I was while playing Dead or Alive 5 at Tecmo's booth today. The person manning the display already whupped me a few times so I knew odds were slim that I'd actually win. But I didn't expect to be humiliated like I was.

In the videos above, you'll see the new Power Blows that will be appearing in DOA 5. These devastating strikes get triggered by directional input and a pair of buttons and need to be charged to be executed. You can use them in DOA5's Tag Mode, too.

You'll also see how the latest iteration of Dead or Alive ramps up the insanity of the series' environmental danger zones to even crazier degrees. Missiles blast the playfield apart and powerful blows can send you dangling off fearsome precipices. Or as above, a titanic mechanized clown mouth can swallow you whole and eject you through a nose cannon. It's a horrible yet hilarious way to win or lose.

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When I asked the members of Team Ninja who were on hand just why these mini-cutscenes were so extensive in DOA5, they responded by saying that characters and environments aren't separate entities in DOA games. DOA danger zones are what separate Tecmo's fighting franchise from those published by other companies, so Team Ninja figured they'd double down on that distinction. Fair enough. Just don't be the one to go down by clown. You'll never live it down.